Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1887-05-04
"HAND WORK. IN SWEDEN.
How the Use of Implements Is Taught In
the Scandinavian Peninsula.


the Scandinavian Peninsula.
Sloid, or hand work, is the art of using
ordinary implements-such as a knife.
saw, hammer or a paint brush. Mr..
Squeers seems TO have had some shadowy
notion of this system. "C-l-e-a-n, clean;
w-i-n-d-e-r, window; now go and clean it, y
said that practical person. Slojd teaching is
to technical instruction what a liberal ed
ucation is to professional training. 1t is
valued, not only as the first step toward
learninga trade, but also as a training for
the faculties. Appreciation of form,
proper value of time and method, neat
ness of manipulation and habits of indus
try and self reliance are some of the bless
ings with which it is credited. Enthusi-
asts, moreover, hope that by including
manual work among ordinary school sub
jects bodily labor may in time be raised
from the low esteem where it too often
lies.
Slojd was invented by one Uno Cyg-
neus, a Fin, who, after qualifying in sew
eral handicFafts, became a schoolmaster
and was commissioned to draw up re-
port, on which the Finnish system Of gov
ernment schools is based. In Sweden his
system was copied some fifteen years ago,
and it has there spread so rapidly that in
many of the common schools slojd forms
part of the regular course. Those who
view hand work merely as training for
the faculties confine their teaching to
simple work in wood. But those who
value it also as subsidiary to technical in
struction teach slojd in many branches
and carry it beyond the use of the sim
plest tools. Bookbnding, tinkering,
smiths work, painting, basket making
shoemaidng and tailoring are among their
subjects, and they spare no efforts TO
make the system attractive to pupils and
parents At some schools pupils are al
lowed to keep what they have made, or to
buy 1t cheaply; or, to secure continuous
attendance, they are credited with deferred
pay, which they forfeit by leaving before
a stipulated course has been completed
On completion of the course the pupil is
presented with bank book representing
his accumulated earnings and receives q
parting counsel to increase them.
The parents sympathy is also angled
for. At n school in laboring district ii
is rule that pupils shall be taught to
make and use such common implements
as are most seryiceable to working people
-rakes, spades AK handles and the like.
Assiduous young tinkers, tailors and shoe
makers are allowed the use of school inn
plements to make the family repairs, and
thus exists in Sweden the phenomenon Of
a self repairing boy, who mends his own
raiment and cobbles his own shoes.
In Sweden, in Norway and in Fin
land the system has proved most success
full. There seems no reason why it should
not be introduced and become equally
successful here. The taste among non
laboring classes for using implements is
universal Too often, however, the
hands that guide the implements are
rather jealous than skillful. But IL
schools taught slojd, these manual short
comings would be relnedied. The tool
chest, now q Pandora's box of evil, bring
ing terror to paternal bosoms and impre-
cations on the donor would become a
blessing. Instead of amputating chair
legs Or studding the furniture with tin
taclIs, its skilled possessor would do the
family's odd jobs. The penknife found in
the pocket of every schoolboy but Macau-
lays would whittle and carve, under due
supervision, to the advantage of the fit
tings and its owners fingers. Adults
would cease to slice their faces in vain at
tempts to shave themselves; and to the
adept in slojd, the opening of q meat tin
or sardine box would not mean lockjaw. If
to the use of ordinary tools some crafts like
bookbinding were added, brain workers
would grow up with recreative hobby
ready made. Even q course of darning
and button sewing might not come amiss
to youths intended for professions, where,
according to the registrar generals re-
turns, they will be condemned to bachler-
hood till 30.-LOndon Saturday Review.